Annunciator for railways.



Patented Dec.28,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

whim/woes:

J. J. STROBEL.

ANNUNGIATOR FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14, 1908.

944,390, I Patented 990.22%,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW. R. GRANAM co Fuovmu'moumvnixs. wlsumumk, n. c.

iirrnn s'rA'rns Par FFI JOHN JOSEPH STROBEL, or ME'n'IDiAn',MISSISSIPPI, AssIeNoR or ONE-HALF ro EUGENE SPINNER, OF MERIDIAN,MISS'ISS'IPII.

ANNUNCIATOE FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed December 14, 1908. Serial No. 467,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J OSEPH STRoBEL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and Stateof Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAnnunciators for Railways, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to the class of street and station indicators forrailways, and pertains particularly to special means for operatingmatics, and to special means for automatically stopping and reversingthe roller operating mechanism.

Certain of the devices herein claimed are shown and described in myapplication No. 412,951, filed January 27, 1908, but are not claimedtherein.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application: Figure 1is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line a-a, Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is an elevation with the rollers partly broken away and the viewdoor removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line bb,Fig. 3, partly broken away.

The same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings.

A suitable box or casing 1, having spindles 2 of rollers 3 journaledtherein, and provided with a hinged door 4 having a sight or Viewopening 5 in one end thereof. A sign sheet 6 is carried by the rollers3, so as to be viewed through said opening 5. The spindles 2 areprovided respectively with gear wheels 7 and 8, which mesh with a gear 9on a screw shaft 10 journaled in the casing and extending therethrough.Said shaft 10, is adapted to be operated by a hand crank 11. The screwshaft 10 is provided with a ratchet-wheel .12 engaged by pawls 13pivoted to arms lat, mounted adjacent the ratchet-wheel on the end ofthe shaft 10, said arms having levers 15.

The pawls and pawl-levers are operated by pneumatic pressure through acylinder 16 adapted to be supplied with steam or compressed air foroperating a suitable piston, the rod 17 of which and the levers 15 areconnected by links 18 to a cross-head 19 fulcrumed at 20, sa1d cylinderbeing proa pair of sign sheet rollers by pneu-' vided with asignal-whistle 16*. For the purpose of operating the cross '-head byhand, a hand lever 21 projects from the cross-head and is controlled bya spiralspring 22, and is connected to a signal-bell 23 by aspiral-spring 24:. The pawls are controlled by spiral-springs 25attached to a lever 26 fulcrumed on the ratchet end of the shaft. 10,and the lever 26 is operated by a lever 27, connected to a link 28having a trunnion 29.

The automatic stop and reversing means comprises a screw-block 30mounted on and worked by the shaft 10, and a screw-rod 31 provided withlock-nuts 32, and extending through the block30 so as to permit thelatter to slide thereon between the lock-nuts during the turning of theshaft 10 in either direction, and a crank-shaft 33 journaled in asuitable bearing 34, and having one end attached to the screw-rod 31,and the other end attached to a lever 35, connected to the trunnion 29by a link 36. In order to stop and reverse by hand, a hand lever 37 isconnected with the lever 27, and the latter is engaged by a coil-spring38.

It is obvious that the lock-nuts may be set to automatically limit themovement of the screw-block according to the desired movement of thesign-sheet, and that at the end of such desired sheet movement the blockwill automatically operate the mechanism for reversing the travel of thesheet.

In operation, the movement of the crosshead 19 operates the ratchetwheel 12 through the levers and pawls and turns the screw-shaft 10 whichoperates the rollers to successively bring to view street or stationsigns or names on the sign sheet, and during the rotation of the shaft10, the screw-block follows along the screw-rod 31 until the blockstrikes the lock-nuts, whereupon the said rod operates the crank-shaftwhich in turn operates the several levers between it and the shaft 10 toreverse the latter.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an annunciator, the combination with revoluble rolls, and asuitable sign sheet carried by the rolls, of a screw-shaft geared to therolls, a rod parallel with the shaft and having stops thereon, ascrew-block slidable by the shaft on the rod between the stops, a pawland ratchet device on one en operating the rollers, and means forrevolving the shaft, of mechanism for reversing the movement of therollers through the shaft comprising a screw-rod having locknuts, ablock carried by the shaft and slidable on the rod between the nuts, acrankshaft connected to and operated by the screw-rod when the blockengages the nuts. a ratchet wheel on the shaft, pawls cooperating withthe wheel, and a series of levers connecting the pawls with the saidcrankshaft.

3. In an annunciator, the combination, with the sign sheet rollers, ascrew-shaft for operating the rollers, and means for re- In anannunciator, the combination,

volving the shaft, of a screw-rod parallel with the screw-shaft, a blockslidable by the shaft on the rod, stops on the rod to limit the movementof the block, a pawl and ratchet device on the shaft, a series of leversing the the depending lever with the trunnion.

4;. In an annunciator, the combination, with the sign sheet rollers, ascrew shaft for operating the rollers, and means for revolvthescrew-shaft,a;, block slidable on the rod through the operation of theshaft, stops on the rod to limitthe movement, of the block, acrank-shaft connected with the rod and operated by the block engagingthestops, a pawl and ratchet device on the screw shaft, and meansconnecting the crank-shaft with the pawl and ratchet device forreversing the shaft and the rollers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature j i in presence of twoWitnesses. 7

JOHN JOSEPH STROBEL. Witnesses:

J. P. BLANEY, EUGEN SPINNER.

shaft, of a screw-rod parallel with

